Connecticut decriminalizes small amounts of marijuana

Possession of small amounts of marijuana will soon no longer be a crime in Connecticut.

After five hours of debate, legislators in the state House of Representatives gave final passage today to a bill that reduces the penalty for possessing less than an ounce of marijuana from a misdemeanor to an infraction. In a statement, Gov. Dannel Malloy promised to sign the legislation, which passed by a vote of 90 to 57.

“Final approval of this legislation accepts the reality that the current law does more harm than good — both in the impact it has on people’s lives and the burden it places on police, prosecutors and probation officers of the criminal justice system,” Malloy said in the statement.

While some of the bill’s opponents argued that it paves the way for full legalization of marijuana, Malloy stressed that decriminalization does not make the drug legal. Still, he said, “the punishment should fit the crime.”

A first offense for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana carries possible jail time and fines starting at $1000 under the current law.

Under the new law, the fine for a first offense for possession of up to half an ounce of marijuana is $150, while subsequent offenses carry fines ranging from $200 to $500. Similar to the penalty for underage drinking, offenders under 21 could have their driver’s licenses suspended for 60 days.

With the change in penalties, Malloy said, state law enforcement will be more effectively utilized by placing a higher priority on more dangerous offenses than possession of small amounts of marijuana.

“What kind of message does this send to our children?” Senator Boucher said in the statement. “This law undermines a fundamental lesson that our schools, social service programs and parents teach our children: that taking drugs is bad for you.”

Before the State Senate sent the legislation to the House, Boucher, the most vocal opponent of decriminalization in the legislature, won the inclusion of an amendment that requires repeat offenders to be referred to drug education after a second offense and treatment programs after a third offense.

Some opponents of the bill argued that it was unnecessary, given that most of the approximately 7,000 people in the state arrested each year for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana complete a program that allows their criminal records to be erases. But supporters of the bill argued that because the records of arrests are public, the current law places an undue burden on offenders which will stay with them forever.

The current law “stigmatiz[es] them in a way we would not if they were caught drinking underage,” Malloy said.

Once Malloy signs the legislation, Connecticut will become the eighth state to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. Another six states have explicitly eliminated the possibility of jail time for a first offense while continuing to classify it as a misdemeanor.

jwolf227

“What kind of message does this send to our children?” Senator Boucher said in the statement. “This law undermines a fundamental lesson that our schools, social service programs and parents teach our children: that taking drugs is bad for you.”

But the information about marijuana in the school systems is pretty much lies, lies, and well, you guessed it more lies. The truth is that taking marijuana is GOOD for you. Smoking it might harm your lungs a bit, but many of the compounds (called cannabinoids) in marijuana will make you MORE healthy, not less as they are potent anti-oxidants, with powerful anti-cancer activity, it reduces inflammation, ocular pressure, it even improves bowel health.

McGuire

No doubt due to intense pressure by the James Franco lobby

ConservativeChristian

Jesus said to do unto others as we would have them to do unto us. None of us would want our child thrown in jail with the sexual predators over marijuana. None of us would want to see an older family member’s home confiscated and sold by the police for growing a couple of marijuana plants for their aches and pains. It’s time to stop putting our own family members in jail over marijuana.
Next step: How about $100 for a permit to grow a dozen plants? We can use the money to fix our roads, and it will put the drug gangs out of business for good!

And a big THANK YOU to the courageous, freedom-loving legislators, governor, and countless others who worked so hard to bring this bill through! You’ve done a great service for the people of Connecticut and for all of America!

ds747

lol “conservative christian”

Branford73

“taking drugs is bad for you”

So is eating french fries. The best anti-marijuana ad was the one which showed a youngster talking about his older brother pothead. The pothead didn’t move onto heroin, he didn’t rob banks. He actually didn’t do much of anything except sit around the house and get stoned. Use should be discouraged because it saps energy and motivation, but criminalizing possession of small amounts is counter productive. So hooray for the Connecticut legislature.